Improvement in harvester-cutter sharpeners



NrTnn STATES PATENT Tirion.

JOHN K. STAMAN, OF MIFFLIN, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO HIMSELF, O. C. STAMAN, AND M. H. MANSFIELD.

liVlPPtOVEl/iENT IN HARVESTER-CUTTER SHARPENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.- 39.866, dated September 8, 1863.

T0 all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN K. STAMAN, of Miftiin, in the county of Ashla-nd and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Harvester-Knife Sharpeners; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a perspective View. Fig. 2 is a section, and Figs. 3 and 4t show the sharpener as applied to the knifeJ on opposite sides.

The Sharpener consists of two steel bars, A and B, which are secured to the handle C by means of a rod,D,and nut E. These bars of steel are about two inches and threequarters long, half an inch Wide, and threeeighths of an inch thik. The inside faces of these bars are slightly concave, to insure an actual contact of their edges, and the edges, measuring from the face, have an angle of about eighty degrees. These acute angles are designed for cutting-edges, and the two bars can be so adjusted as to bring all of the edges into use. The steel bars are tempered very hard, and ground smooth, leaving the acute angles perfect. Each of these bars of steel has a hole in the center, through which the rod D passes. A head, D', rests against the back side of the outer-bar, A, and aunt, E, on the opposite end of the rod D and handle U, serves to secure the bars in the desired position, as relates to each other. B y tightening the nut E the head D presses the bar A against the bar B, and that in turn against the handle U, and thus the concave faces of the two bars are held lirnlly against each other, bringing the acute angles of the two bars into direct contact. The bars can be adj usted for either edge of the knife and at any desired angle to suit the'bevel of the knife.

rlhe harvester-knife is shown in section in Fig. 8 at F. At the right hand of the iigure, at G, theinstrument is shown with the proper adjustment for sharpeningV the left edge of the knife, and on the left hand ofthe figure, at H, the instrument is shown with the proper adjustment for sharpening the right edge of the knife, and either end of the instrument may be used for one edge Without adjustment. In all cases the front bar (B, as the adjustment is shown in the figure) must be placed parallel with the under surface or dat side of the knife, and this bar acts simply as a guide and support to the edge of the knife, while the bar A cuts away the beveled side of the knife only, for the flat side must never be cnt away.

1n applying the Sharpener to the edge of the harvester-knife the plate nearest to the handle of the instrument will act as a guide and support the edge ofthe knife upon the iiat side, and prevent it from turning down or breaking, while the inner edge of the outside plate cuts away a portion of the bevel, and thus sharpens the knife While drawing the instrument from the heel to the point.

Either of the bars A or B can be used as guides by changing` them or reversing them from the position shown in Figs. l and 2, for each bar has an acute angle upon the concave side, which will act upon the bevel of the knife when brought into the proper position, and this change can be easily made by removing the nut E and reversing the `position of the bars in the nianner above stated. Consequently all the angles can be brought into use before there is any necessity for grinding the sharpener.

Another important and indispensable feature in this sharpener is the changing of the instrument from right to left and from left to right for sharpening the right and left hand sides of the knives. When the instrument is set as shown in Fig. 1, it is in the proper' position to sharpen the left hand edge of the knife; but in order to sharpenthe ri gilt-hand side it Inust be changed to the position shown in Fig. 4, and at H in Fig. 3, the reverse positions being shown in Fig. 3, at G and H.

It will readily be understood that all harvester-knives must dress from the bevel side only, or it will destroy the principle of the cutting-edge. The sharpener must therefore have reversible bars, for the reason that the knives have right and left hand bevels.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The concave, acute-angled, reversible bars A and B, arranged and operating as and for the purpose set forth.

JNO. K. STAMAN. 

